Darkest Before Dawn
by Crosswinds Pub
Summary: The past cannot be altered. No matter how much you wish it, it remains unchanged, as Draco learns. Meet his latest foe: his new classmate... (longer summary inside) Ch. 1 UP
1. Authors' Note

The past cannot be altered. Mistakes that were made cannot be undone. No matter how much you wish it, it will never change. What counts is how you cope with the repercussions of your actions, whether good or evil. Whether intentional or not. Whether personal or inflected by another.  
  
Draco is about to learn this as he meets his latest foe: his new classmate.  
  
Hello all! This is Hikari no Tenshi and Wind Walker 9, thanks for choosing to read our fic, "Darkest Before Dawn." For those looking for a short, snappy, "get-to-it," instant romance.......this is not your pot of coffee. This will be a VERY long fic, thus, there will be several plot twists that will undoubtedly confuse you but will make it fun in the end.  
  
To stress a key point, the main couple in this fic is Draco Malfoy and an ORIGINAL CHARACTER. Why are we telling you this? Because we'll probably be stoned for what happens in the first few chapters. There will be several other couples---secondary, background, etc.---but the entire focus will be DM/OC. No, this is not a plotless fic, there is an actual story, both to the events in said fic and to said original character.  
  
Please stay with us, it will be confusing, but everything (kinda) will be sorted out in the long run, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cheer during the juicy make-out scenes, and probably enjoy yourselves. We don't really care, we're doing this for fun!  
  
So, we give you, "Darkest Before the Dawn."  
  
*~* Hikari no Tenshi *~*  
  
[~] Wind Walker 9 [~] 


	2. Prolouge

Prologue  
  
Harry Potter found himself in the same situation as he had been for the last eight months or so: lying awake in his four-poster, staring upwards into space, his mind blank. Since his godfather's death, he had somewhat moved on. The Second War was still underway, Voldemort keeping a low profile while the dementors and any free Death Eaters did his work, and the Order was busy keeping up with the Dark Lord. Harry and his friends had found themselves running odd errands for those in the Order over the summer holidays. It had been useful in helping him get his mind off Sirius, yet now that he was back at school there were far too many things that reminded him of his late godfather that was no longer an option. Even his schoolwork could not distract him as often as he wished, prodding the nervous bundle in his stomach to churn so much that sleep never found him when he wanted it.  
  
Harry sighed, sitting up. There was no way he could get to sleep now, it would take hours before he even felt the slightest bit sleepy. Quietly, he put on his invisibility cloak and crept out of the dorm. He made his way to the owlery to see Hedwig, thinking he would either stay there or visit the Astronomy Tower in hopes that the long way to walk would aid in bringing sleep sooner. When he reached the owlery, he scanned the near- empty perches for Hedwig. She was not there.  
  
"Out hunting," he said to himself. He shrugged, turning around and walking out. He was halfway to the Astronomy Tower when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He turned but saw nothing. Nevertheless, he was certain that someone had been behind him. Walking on, it happened several more times. Still he saw nothing.  
  
Harry reached the Tower, shrugging off his cloak and climbing onto the ledge. He had just seated himself down when a timid sound came from behind him. He spun around, not wanting to miss who or what it was this time. He nearly fell off the ledge.  
  
Standing behind him, Hedwig perched on her shoulder, was a girl no older than Harry wearing a formless black robe that shimmered green in the pale moonlight. Her breath fogged in front of her, blocking a direct view of her face yet her eyes seemed to glint from within the confines of her hood.  
  
She jumped when he turned to see her, hands flying to cover her face as she lowered her head. "S-sorry!" she said in a soft voice. She turned around, sprinting toward the stairs.  
  
"Wait!" Harry found himself calling after her. He did not know why he did so. It might have been the fact that Hedwig was with her and acting as if the owl knew her, or that there was a symbol of woven vines surrounding a strange rune on the back of her cloak that caught his eye, or that her reaction caught him off guard like that.  
  
She stopped, one hand grasping the edge of the door cut into the stone, and slowly turned back towards him. "Wh-why?" she said, her voice shaking.  
  
Harry hesitated, then said, "I...I just don't want to be alone. Please, stay."  
  
The girl raised her head slightly, still angling it so that Harry could not see her face clearly. "Why would you want to be with me?" she said slowly. "You came up here in the middle of the night--when everyone else in the castle should be asleep--and you knew that no one would be up here. It's obvious that you want to be alone."  
  
Harry blinked, momentarily surprised, then said, "I don't know....it's not something I can explain. But please stay a while."  
  
The girl turned fully around, one hand clutching her cloak closed, and stared at him from under her thick hood. "You don't even know me," she whispered, panic underlying her voice.  
  
Harry's eyes flicked over to Hedwig, who was preening herself contentedly on the girl's shoulder. "Hedwig seems to like you, so I know you're a good person," he said with a smile.  
  
The girl raised her head, her mouth visible now; she was smiling slightly. "She's a good owl," the girl said, brushing the back of her hand against Hedwig. Even in the pale light Harry noticed the sharp contrast being his owl's snow white feathers and the girl's tanned skin. "You treat her well. She speaks highly of you." She stopped as if she had said something wrong.  
  
"What's the matter?" Harry said.  
  
The girl's hood moved to the side; she was cocking her head. "Didn't-- didn't you find that odd?" she said at length.  
  
"Find what odd?"  
  
"I said that your owl 'speaks.'"  
  
Harry rubbed his neck self-consciously. "I know what it's like to hear things other can't," he said. "So no, I don't find it that odd."  
  
The girl broke into giggles. "You're just like they said you were!" she gasped after a while. "So charming and easy to talk to!"  
  
"Who said that?" Harry said in mock shock.  
  
"All the professors do," the girl said, a few last giggles escaping her. She crossed her arms behind her back, walking slowly towards him. "McGonagall says you're the spitting image of your father, and I can see that. Flitwick raves on and on about how you're so easy to have a conversation with. It seems almost all of them like you, even Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"What year are you in?" Harry asked, shifting so he could look at her better. It seemed that she knew a lot about him yet he knew so little about her. Was she in any of his classes? He couldn't remember.  
  
"My sixth, technically," she said hurriedly. "But I'm not allowed near any of the other students so they've been--" She stopped, becoming very still.  
  
"Been what?" Harry said, wondering why she was acting so afraid.  
  
"I shouldn't be here!" she said, her voice shaking as she backed away from him, jarring Hedwig so roughly the owl flew off her shoulder, landing on a nearby ledge and hooting irritably. "I shouldn't! You'll get in trouble because of me!"  
  
Harry was ready when she started to run to the door again. He jumped off the ledge, reached out, and grabbed her by the arm. "What is so wrong about you and I talking to each other?" he demanded, briefly wondering why this girl got to him so.  
  
"I shouldn't be here!" the girl said again, voice growing in volume and fear. "I shouldn't be here! You'll be expelled with they find us!"  
  
"What is so wrong about being in the Astronomy Tower at night?" Harry said. Though he had to admit that two sixth years, alone, on top of the Astronomy Tower at night did not look very....pure, so to say, why was she acting this way?  
  
"Because I'm a freak!" the girl yelled, ripping her arm away from him. "I'm a freak of nature! That's why they've kept me away! They don't want me around other students! I've seen what I look like! I know I'm a freak!" As she shouted, she gestured wildly in her obvious worry and frustration. At last she threw her hands up, her arms knocking her hood off and revealing her face to Harry.  
  
Time seemed to still for them both, the girl in shock at what she had done and Harry stunned at what he saw. They did not speak--they hardly breathed. Then, as the clouds passed over the moon, the silence was broken.  
  
"What are you talking about? You're beautiful."  
  
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	3. Chapter One

Chapter 1  
  
The morning's quiet serenity was broken by a loud, rapid pounding that jarred Harry Potter awake. Harry groaned and yanked the sheets over his head. Even if he had an entire night of nothing but uninterrupted sleep he couldn't just pop out of bed the next morning ready to go. And last night had not only been interrupted by several owls but his own thoughts refusing to let him sleep.  
  
Today, Harry had turned seventeen. He had come of age in the wizarding world's eyes, this opened a door for several possibilities. Lupin had written a letter to him in addition to a birthday card and gift (a new set of rare Defense Against the Dark Arts books with special Anti-Theft charms placed on them), saying that if Harry wanted to he could move into Grummauld Place. At first Harry's heart had leapt at the thought of leaving the Dursleys for good, then it dawned on him: why was Lupin bluntly telling him to move out when he knew perfectly well of the charm that protected Harry from Voldemort?  
  
Even if he had not been in direct contact with most of the members of the Order, Harry had spent enough time to be able to pick up on a few tricks in getting the correct message across to the right people. The past summer Ron and Hermione sent him letters almost everyday detailing events that were happening without worry of them being intercepted. The three was grown quite good at hiding the true meaning of their words from those they did not want to know. A few members--namely Fred and George--had even given them a few pointers. And all this told him Lupin was asking him to return earlier than they had originally planned.  
  
A shrill laugh then a bellowing one sounded outside his door, making Harry groan and sit up. With Aunt Petunia and Dudley talking loudly to whoever was at the front door, there was no way he could go back to sleep. Throwing off the covers, he fumbled for his glasses. The light coming though his window reflected against the brightly colored cards still laying on his desk. He stood and walked over to them, shifting through before coming to Lupin's and rereading it. The same sentence came out at him, boring into his eyes. He sighed, shaking his head and putting it aside. It was not as if he didn't want to go, nor the fact that the Dursleys would be thrilled to shuck him out of their house for good.  
  
The fact remained that there was a reason he wanted to stay, at least for a while longer.  
  
As that thought crossed his mind, the pieces of parchment bearing Hermione's handwriting caught his eyes. He smiled slightly. Good old Hermione..... She was the only one who noticed. For the past few months something had been bothering him and she had been the only one to see it when it started. At first he had just grown quieter, worry easily distracting him from conversations he was having or anything else going on around him. Then he grew into absent-mindedness and loss of appetite, which happened to be particularly dangerous because during a Quidditch match last year he was almost knocked off his broom by flying straight into the other team's Keeper. Her letter was full of hints that she was very worried about him and told him that if he needed to talk to someone she would always be there to listen. Harry knew he should tell her the reason behind his change in behavior and in fact he wanted to.  
  
"But I promised I wouldn't...." he reminded himself aloud, carefully placing the cards and letters back on his desk.  
  
He dressed, pushing his worry to the back of his mind. He slowly descended the stairs, thinking that after breakfast he would reply to Hermione and Lupin specifically, mainly to assure them that he was fine. As he reached the middle of the stairs, the talk coming from the open front door ceased.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
Harry jerked his head up, startled by the soft voice. In an instant, everything faded from his mind as his eyes widened in shock at who was standing on the threshold of the house.  
  
A girl, so short she only came up to Aunt Petunia's shoulders, grinned at him before bounding up the stairs to him. Latching her arms around his middle she squealed, "Harry! Harry! Oh, it's so good to see you again!"  
  
Harry would have replied if her sudden flight had not knocked him off balance. Arms flailing, he and the girl fell on the steps, thudding down the remainder until they came to a stop at the bottom.  
  
The girl giggled, getting off him and helping him stand. She smiled widely, her large amethyst eyes shining as she held back obvious tears of joy. Her hair swirled around her like a black curtain, the light reflecting back a deep blue hue on the waved locks. "Sorry," she said. "It's just been so long! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."  
  
"Forgotten you?" Harry said, his face cracking into a full grin for the first time in quite a while. "Don't give yourself so much thought," he said, ruffling her hair as she stuck out her tongue at him.  
  
"A-HEM!"  
  
The fake cough brought back the fact that his aunt and cousin were still present, the latter of whom was leering openly at the girl. Aunt Petunia looked from the girl to Harry and said in a strangely normal tone, "Harry, would you please explain how you know this delightful young lady?"  
  
Harry did not know whether to answer or just stare in amazement that his aunt had addressed him so casually. "She goes to my...my school," he fumbled, not sure how she would take knowing that there was another of the wizarding world in her house.  
  
"Oh, yes. Of course, I already know that," Aunt Petunia said, waving her hand. "I meant how on Earth did she come here all by herself? Did you give her directions?"  
  
Before he could open his mouth, the girl said, "No, he wouldn't do that. I had to get the information from our Headmaster. I was actually sent to ask you if it would be all right if Harry came back to my house for the remainder of the summer holiday. We have a project we need to work on and it needs to be finished before term starts again."  
  
She gave Harry a slight nudge in the side, prompting him into saying rather dumbly, "Yes, very important project."  
  
"Well, if it's for school I guess so," Aunt Petunia said, once again amazing Harry at how civil she was acting to him. "But could you stay for supper? Or at least lunch?"  
  
"Supper would be wonderful!" the girl exclaimed happily. "And that would work because our ride would be stopping about that time. So, until then, can I borrow your nephew? He promised he'd show me around his hometown if I ever came by to visit." She barely waited to hear Aunt Petunia's reply before grabbing Harry by the hand and dragging him behind her, saying a hasty 'goodbye and see you later.' Dudley started after them, but Aunt Petunia said something sharply that Harry could not hear and he stopped just before the garden wall. He glared after them until they turned a corner and disappeared from his sight.  
  
The girl could not contain herself anymore. She burst into hysterical giggles, nearly falling to the ground. "That-That was priceless!" she gasped. "Your cousin was so--so--so mad!"  
  
"It doesn't take much," Harry said, joining with her laughter.  
  
It was several minutes before either calmed down. "So, why are you here?" Harry asked her as they walked down the street.  
  
The girl frowned. "I already said: to take you back to my place. Well," she added, "it's not really my place, but I've been living there for a while. And you've been there before, so it's not like it's anything new."  
  
"And where is it?" Harry cut into her rambling.  
  
"You know where it is," she said through a smile. "It's Grummauld Place."  
  
Harry blinked, surprised. "You've been living in Grummauld Place?" he said. "Since when?"  
  
The girl pouted. "Don't give me that look, Harry. It's not like I didn't want to write. Everyone just thought it was best that I lay low until I came to get you."  
  
"By everyone, you mean Dumbledore," Harry muttered, withholding the urge to roll his eyes. As much as he respected and even loved the old wizard, Harry still question some of the things he did.  
  
"Not really," the girl said. "I haven't seen him since before the te-- I mean end of term!" she said hastily, quickly avoiding Harry's curious gaze and letting go of his hand to hurry ahead of him. "He's been busy," she said, gesturing with her hands. "He hasn't been by Grummauld Place at all over break. I was talking about Lupin. He seemed to think that you should be relaxing over the summer instead of trying to find a way to hurry away from your aunt and uncle."  
  
Harry frowned, not replying. After several minutes, the girl turned and looked at him in question. It was a moment or two more before Harry said quietly, "I heard nothing from you since May, Athena. How can three months of wondering if you even lived through that cursed thing relax me?"  
  
A small part of Harry was glad at the pain and realization that flashed across Athena's face.  
  
Neither spoke until they reached the shopping district, which seemed to spur Athena into better spirits. As if forgetting what had happened minutes ago, she began talking animatedly again. It was not long before Harry succumbed to her cheerful manner. They went through the different shops, enjoying one another's company.  
  
It was when they were in a clothing store that he saw it. He was glancing over the racks of different colored sunglasses when Athena asked how a hat looked on her. After giving his assurance that he had no taste in apparel whatsoever and that she might as well ask the hat itself, she laughed, taking the hat off and reaching up to replace it on the shelf. She stretched her arm up yet was not near tall enough to put it back in its proper position. She pulled a small stool over and stood on it, still needing to stretch in order to reach the desire place. The hem of her shirt rose in the back.  
  
Harry had turned to ask if she wanted to get some lunch when he saw what looked like a large, red welt on the bit of her exposed back. His question died in his mouth, staring at it. It was long and thin, raised a bit from the rest of her skin. There was a faint line of darker red running down the middle: a cut that looked as if it recently healed.  
  
When she was finally able to put the hat back and lowered her arms, Athena said, "Where's a good place to eat? I haven't had a thing since breakfast and even then it wasn't very--what's wrong?" she said, lowering her voice when she saw the look of shock on Harry's face.  
  
"You--your--" Harry was finding it hard to form the sentence.  
  
As Athena waited for him to collect his thoughts, a thought dawned on him: She's different.  
  
Now that he took time and looked at her, Harry thought himself blind not to have noticed the several differences between her current appearance and how she looked the last time they had seen one another. Her skin was paler, not the light olive hue he remembered. She was obviously thinner--he was certain he could lift her with one hand if he tried.  
  
"Athena, what happened in that test?" Harry asked before she could interrupt him. "What happened?" he said again when she looked away.  
  
Athena glanced around the store, noticing the clerk eyeing them suspiciously. "Not here," she muttered. She grabbed his hand and steered him out of the store. She pulled him away from the shopping district, pass the bustling crowd that was steadily growing, and into a nearby park.  
  
It was not until they were standing, alone, by a large fountain in the middle of the park that Athena spoke again. She released his hand and sat on the rim of the fountain, eyes fixed on her sneakers.  
  
"It was hell," she said slowly, so soft that Harry had to sit next to her to listen. "That's the solid fact I know." She let out a breath, resting her head between her hands, leaning her elbows against her knees. "Apparently both judges decided to block many of the true events of that night from my memories for the time being. Said it was in my best interest. I can't say I'm grateful, but I can't otherwise either. What they left--- well, it's enough to ensure that I'll have nightmares for a long time. It was...it---it hurt, to say the least." Here she rubbed the conjunction of her shoulder and neck absently, as if remembering the pain. "They used every means necessary to make sure I would fail. They were itching to kill me, it was written on their faces. Didn't even try to hide it..." She trailed off, looking over at Harry after a moment.  
  
Harry stared at her. Her amethyst eyes gazed back at him, their depths dark, blackened. The bright spark that had once been there was no longer evident, as if it was never even existed. He had seen that look before.  
  
It was the same as Sirius' eyes.  
  
Minutes went by without either realizing. Then, Athena's words seem to register in Harry's mind.  
  
"They were going to kill you if you failed?" Harry said. "Then--"  
  
Athena smiled. "Right. I passed."  
  
Harry could not help himself. He began to laugh. As he did, a few tears of relief fell to join with Athena's.  
  
They spent the rest of the day in the park and headed back to the Dursely's house as the sun began to set. They walked slowly, merely enjoying each other's company. As they came to Privet Drive, Harry broke the silence.  
  
"How are we getting to Grummauld Place?" Harry asked. "Are we taking a cab?"  
  
Athena shook her head slightly, then rested it against his arm. Since there was such a distance in their height, she was unable to reach his shoulder. "I made an appointment with the Knight Bus. It's the best way to get there," she insisted when Harry groaned.  
  
"That doesn't mean we'll get there in one piece," Harry muttered. He sighed, then slipped an arm around Athena's waist, loosening his grip when she winced. Apparently the wounds on her back were still very sore. "At least I'll be able to see Ron and Hermione sooner than I thought. Are they already there?"  
  
"The Weasleys are," Athena said. "Ron actually wanted to come with me but Fred and George needed him to stay and help them with some new joke stuff they're testing."  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
Athena held back a giggle. "No, I don't think they really told him what it was he was helping them with. Anyway, Ron said that Hermione was on vacation with her parents but should be back soon."  
  
They separated when they were in sight of the Dursley house. Even from a distance they could see Dudley's face pressed against the window, trying to see them as soon as he could. Dinner was somewhat an uneventful affair. Both Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernan were treating Athena as if she were an honored guest, occasionally directing half-hearted demands towards Harry about why he had never brought her over before. Dudley was quiet through the whole meal, staring at Athena with the same leer on his face as that morning, unblinking. Though he was very confused by his relatives' odd behavior, Athena took the attention in stride, asking questions and answering when asked with ease.  
  
Almost as soon as they had finished packing the last of Harry's things, the tell-tale crashing of the Knight Bus came from outside. Athena quickly whisked Harry down the stairs, balancing Hedwig's cage in one hand as she held onto the railing with the other. The owl was perched on her shoulder, looking very content. Before the Durserly's could open their mouths, Athena said a few quick words of thanks and that she would visit again if she could then shut the door of the Bus behind her.  
  
As the triple-decker began its haphazard journey and Stan put their things away, Harry met Athena's gaze and found she was blushing furiously, though not from embarrassment. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
Athena nodded, then swayed. She grabbed onto Harry's outstretched arm just as she was about to fall. She allowed him to lead her to one of the beds, which he secured to the floor of the Bus with a Sticking Charm. "I'll- --I'll be fine," she said breathlessly. "That just took a lot out of me."  
  
"What did?" Harry asked.  
  
Athena's mouth quirked in a half-smile. She looked out the window at the passing scenery. "Well...," she said at length, still smiling, "that blasted test did one thing right: it gave me access to my full abilities."  
  
Harry blinked. "It did? But what does that have to do---"  
  
"I Charmed your Aunt and Uncle," Athena cut in, lowering her voice.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Not the wand kind of Charm," Athena hastily amended. "I just...Charmed them. Didn't you wonder why they were being so nice?"  
  
Harry paused then said, "Yes, I did. About a hundred times."  
  
"I didn't think they'd be very happy to see a schoolmate of yours on their doorstep---especially after what Ron told me about the telephone incident. I thought it would be best to...help them decide what to think of me."  
  
Harry stared at her, dumbfounded.  
  
"I just altered their thoughts about you and the wizarding world," Athena burst out. "At least I think I did. I just wanted them to let me take you with me, then your Aunt started inviting me and Dudley started looking at me as if he was a starving man and I was a jelly doughnut so I thought it best to keep it up, but I didn't think it would take that much energy to do all three of them at once and---"  
  
"Athena?"  
  
"Yes, Harry?"  
  
Harry leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "Just shut up. Okay?" he said through a grin as her blush returned.  
  
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Oh yeah, we can see those stones about to be chunked by P.O.ed readers. Deal with it, we need not point you back to the first Author's Note.  
  
*~* Hikari no Tenshi *~*  
  
[~] Wind Walker 9 [~] 


End file.
